Breaking: “You can’t hide” — Dubbins challenges Graham to Unite GS debate

Unite general secretary election challenger Simon Dubbins has publicly challenged incumbent Sharon Graham to stop hiding from him and debate him directly.

The explosive challenge comes after Graham repeatedly sent proxies rather than face Dubbins in person, to the disgust of members — even close allies. While Dubbins attended every hustings to which he was invited, according to Unite insiders Graham didn’t attend a single hustings:

As a result, Dubbins gained big wins in huge Unite sectors Graham would previously have considered sewn up tightly, including defence, air travel and construction. Dubbins is also set to win Unite’s ‘Community’ section — which Graham had planned to wind down if she wins a second term.

Unite’s Anti-union union boss

Graham and Dubbins are very different candidates, particularly on the issue of political involvement in service to members and the union movement. Publicly, Graham has been almost invisible on the issue of Palestine and Israel’s genocide. She has, though, been highly visible advocating for a bigger UK arms industry — but still lost the defence sector to Dubbins.

Behind the scenes, meanwhile, she has been accused by disgusted members of blocking activists from supporting the anti-genocide movement on behalf of Unite. Graham has also held ‘secret’ talks with far-right Reform. Her lack of political engagement and education has seen support for the far-right mushroom in the union.

Despite running a union, Graham has been accused of using appalling, anti-union tactics against workers employed by Unite, leading to repeated strikes. In many cases, these tactics have been seen as Unite’s attempts to protect her husband, Jack Clarke.

Soon after her accession in 2021, Graham created a new Bargaining and Disputes Support Unit (BDSU). Outside of the union’s usual procedures, Clarke was appointed to run it despite being on a final warning for bullying and misogyny. Graham’s faction has staged counter-demonstrations against workers striking against Clarke and attacked their union reps.

Damned either way?

Ballots in the Unite contest will be sent out from 14 July, with a deadline of 11 August for the receipt of votes. So far, Graham appears to have run scared from facing Dubbins in front of members. Her track record so far may explain why, but will she continue to hide? Dubbins thinks it will cost her if she tries -— and it may well cost her if she doesn’t, just as Keir Starmer became even more unpopular every time people saw him.

Featured image via the Canary